I quickly shed my wrecked, near-tears expression and turned, smoothly looping my arm through his.
"Honey, where have you been?" I looked up at him with a smile sweet enough to cause cavities, my voice so saccharine it gave me goosebumps. "You didn't tell me today's groom was your brother. Small world."
A dangerously dark gleam ignited instantly in Nikolai's gray eyes. He lowered his head at an angle only we could see and raised one eyebrow slightly.
I tightened my grip nervously.
He suddenly laughed softly.
My heart trembled with his low chuckle. The next moment, that large hand on my waist pulled me intimately closer against his hard chest.
"Sorry, sweetheart. Had to deal with a few disobedient pieces of trash on the way. Took a bit longer."
What? Deal with trash? Was he joking?
I swallowed, meeting those slightly lowered dark gray eyes, trying to find any hint of jest in his face.
But his expression told me clearly—he was dead serious.
No time to think about that now.
Derek's stare scraped over me like knives.
"Sweetheart? What the hell does that mean?" He pointed at me like he'd suffered a massive betrayal. "Nikolai, are you insane? She's my—"
"She's your what?" He raised one eyebrow, his icy gaze sweeping over Derek like he was looking at a corpse, cutting him off instantly. "Do you have a problem with my woman, dear brother?"
His tone was casual, but the terrifying pressure of long-held authority pressed down like a mountain. Derek immediately shut his mouth, not daring to say another word. Cold sweat even appeared on his forehead.
I was screaming with satisfaction inside. So gratifying! So absurd! I swore I'd write this scene word-for-word into my next chapter, even if readers called it melodramatic!
"Let's go say hello," Nikolai applied slight pressure with the hand on my waist. "You two enjoy your evening."
He led me away.
No one said goodbye.
We passed through gaps between clusters of guests, around a flower arrangement of white peonies, into a relatively quiet corridor off the ballroom's side wing.
No other guests in the corridor. Only the distant sound of strings from the ballroom, low and far away.
Nikolai releasedmy waist.
I turned, my heartbeat still racing like an out-of-control generator.
"Thank—"
"You look beautiful tonight."
He didn't give me a chance to speak. That low, husky voice echoed in the empty corridor.
I froze.
I looked up and met those dark gray eyes. I'd expected him to mock me like on the plane for actually showing up at my ex's wedding, for my pathetic performance just now.
But no. His gaze was like burning dark fire, intensely focused, brazenly sliding from my cheeks down over the deep cleavage beneath my emerald gown and my tiny waist. His eyes held pure masculine appreciation and desire.
My heart lurched wildly out of control. Blood rushed to my face, burning hot.
